Lost
by Ms. Perception
Summary: Sometimes it takes getting lost to find something worth living for.*Repost*


**Summary:** Sometimes it takes getting lost to find something worth living for.*Repost*

**Pairings:** Puck/Mike/Sam friendship, Chang-squared, Samtana, Finnchel, and hints of Puckleberry

**Warnings:** This is set in the weeks before graduation but in a totally A/U world cuz I like to ignore the vast majority of Season 3. No real spoilers involved in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this show or anything related to this show. If I did there would be many more songs featuring Santana, Puck and Artie. There would also be a lot more Mike and his wondrous abs. I also don't own _Deliverance._

**Author's Note:** Hello, all. It's been a long time since I wrote anything for _Glee_. And technically this isn't new. It's a repost of a story I did over a year ago that was removed since felt that the summary violated their rules. So I decided to edit the story a little and repost. Ciao for now.

* * *

Lost

Puck really didn't see how any of this was his fault. Ok, so he may have been the one to suggest this outing in the first place but he had purely good intentions when he came up with the idea. How the hell was he supposed to know that it would turn into a huge clusterfuck? He couldn't. So… not his fault. It also wasn't his fault that he forgot to check the weather before they left the cabin. It was sunny, bright and not a cloud in sight. How was he supposed to know that it would be like a freaking monsoon less than two hours later? He wasn't a freaking meteorologist. He was just a devilishly handsome, awesomely talented soon to be high school graduate. Just like he wasn't a damn geologist. How the hell was he supposed to know that the interesting looking rock formation he had inadvertently pushed Mike off was actually a small cliff? Shouldn't that genius have seen it for himself before allowing Puck anywhere near him? So again, not his fault.

Ok, maybe he was the one that left the map in the cabin but really now…

"Blaming me for all of this is a bit harsh, don't you think?" he yelled ahead to the two bedraggled figures that were walking (and limping) ahead him. As Mike was heavily leaning on Sam for support, they turned in unison to face their best friend, scowls marring their normally pleasant features. Puck chuckled humorlessly and took a step back from the twin glares. "So I guess I'm the only one that feels that way, huh?"

"Damn right, you are!" Sam hissed, swiping angrily at his hair that was now plastered to his face with his free hand. After moving it a fraction of an inch for it to end up in the same position, he sighed and the glare intensified. Puck got the feeling that he was about to be blamed for that one too. Sam paused long enough to readjust his grip on Mike's waist before the pair continued to walk in a pissed off rage ahead of him.

Puck chewed on his lip thoughtfully watching them. 'Yeah, they're mad alright.'

This really wasn't going anything like he thought it would. It sounded like a really solid plan in his head. He had found the perfect hiking trail on the map he 'borrowed' from Santana the day before and suggested that Mike and Sam join him. He would have invited Artie but the mountains weren't exactly handicap friendly. It might've helped if Mr. Schuester and Principal Figgins had actually thought that one through before sending the glee club on a week long 'Congratulations for finally winning Nationals' trip. It was also a goodbye to the founding class of New Directions. And with the separation hanging over him heavily, Puck came up with this idea. Really it was a good idea. It was just in the implementation of the plan where he ran into the problem. Per the usual.

He sighed and shuffled slowly after his two friends. It was getting dark and the practically torrential rain was not helping visibility at all. If it wasn't for the almost tangible aura of rage surrounding both Mike and Sam, he probably wouldn't have been able to see even them. He glanced down at his cell phone even though he knew that was a dead end. They had learned early in this trip that cell phones were not working up this high. He didn't think he would be lucky enough to get a miracle and be able to make a phone call. But he kept hoping.

Puck kept one eye on the phone and the pair ahead of him. With every step, Mike seemed to be leaning more and more on Sam. He knew the blonde was bound to be getting tired at this point. But he also knew better than to suggest he take over as a human crutch. He was already in deep shit with them. Last thing he needed was to be bitched out. Although that might have been preferable to the silent treatment.

What they really needed now was somewhere dry and warm where they could sit down, rest and understand that this wasn't Puck's fault. But that was not likely to be found in this weather. Because did he mention he was pretty sure they were in a fucking monsoon. Or maybe it was a typhoon. What was the difference between those two again?

It was because he was so occupied with the concept of monsoons versus typhoons that he failed to notice the cabin until he walked straight into the side of the log built cabin. He bounced back a few steps, and rubbed his aching forehead. 'Ok, that so wasn't there a minute ago,' he thought. He rubbed his eyes twice and blinked three times. It was still there. And there were lights on, meaning someone was home. Someone with a working phone hopefully.

"Hey, you guys," he called out to the painfully slow duo. He glanced out the corner of his eye to see that they hadn't made much more progress. "Come here."

He heard Sam scoff and then the steady shuffle of feet until finally they were beside him again. The three young men stood shoulder to shoulder staring at the cabin in wonder.

"Was this here before?" Mike asked. "Because I'm pretty sure that we just passed this spot and it wasn't here."

"Well, whatever, let's keep going," Sam grumbled, already shifting to leave.

"Hey, where are you going? Someone in there might have a phone."

Even through the dimness of the woods, Puck could make out the glare Sam was throwing his way. Sam was usually passive and laid back except when extremely pissed off. They had long since passed into that territory. Keeping that in mind, Puck gave what he hoped was his most charming smile and took another step away from him.

"Sammy, I know you're angry with me, and I get that… sort of. But I'm thinking about what's best for the two of you. Maybe this person has a phone and we can call for help."

"Or maybe that person is an inbred hick waiting for innocent travelers to pass by so he can finally get a chance to reenact _Deliverance_ on them!"

Puck, and surprisingly Mike, regarded the blonde with an odd look before shaking it off. "Look, you got any better ideas? Wandering around in the dark and the rain is not smart. Especially when Mike has a busted ankle."

Sam started to protest when Mike spoke up. "He's right, Sam. My ankle is killing me. All this walking probably isn't helping it. We're not going to get anywhere tonight. So we might as well just see if there's someone in there that can help us." Puck looked at him in gratitude and was ignored. Of course, Mike was helping him from a purely practical standpoint. So much for Asian loyalty but he could deal with that.

"You serious about this?" Sam asked, looking at Mike. Mike nodded. "Fine. But I swear if I even think I hear a banjo playing I'm going to kill the two of you myself."

"As long as I'm not the one getting mounted like a pig, I don't really care if they start a fucking banjo concert in the middle of the house," Mike shrugged. It never ceased to amaze, and disturb, Puck that Mike could say things like that with a general blasé attitude. Most people failed to understand that underneath all that quiet was a truly disturbed individual. After all Mike had willingly been one of Puck's best friends since they were like ten. Although, after tonight he'd be lucky if Mike still called him a friend, much less a best friend. Maybe it was better to just end it now instead of in three months anyway…. Shaking it off that train of thought, he realized that the other two were waiting for him to knock on the door.

"This was another of your genius ideas," Sam reminded him, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"Squeal like a pig," Mike added.

Puck shuddered, and decided to burn Mike's copy of _Deliverance_ and probably every copy in Lima for good measure. "Ok, here goes nothing," he muttered, raising a hand to knock on the door. His hand hesitated over the wooden door as he contemplated what he was doing. They were right. This was starting off like all of his genius ideas. Still… the reasons to do this were far outweighing the reasons not to. The rain was starting to come down harder, a feat that he didn't believe to be possible. He heard one of the pair cough and that was all he needed to bring his hand down on the door in three sharp knocks.

Tense silence settled over the trio until they heard someone shuffling towards the door. He felt, more than saw, Sam and Mike tense as the door opened slowly to reveal… an elderly man. The man's gaze swept over the bedraggled figure standing on his front step with two equally as soaked figures standing slightly behind him. Blue eyes stared at them from behind a pair of wire rimmed glasses.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh, this is going to sound weird, but we're lost and we wanted to know if we could possibly use your phone so that we can call for help. It's just that we don't get any cell reception out here, as you could probably imagine," Puck replied, rambling slightly. "So it would be really nice if you could just let us use your phone or something or point us like in the right direction of the road so that we can get help. You know if you don't mind."

"That wasn't at all scary and weird," Sam murmured.

Puck glared at him over his shoulder earning a wide, innocent smile in return. He rolled his eyes returning his attention to the stranger, who was no doubt quivering in fear over the very strange young men huddled on his doorstep, or planning how long it would take for his inbred buddies to arrive.

"So I know it's like a major imposition, but we'd really appreciate it if you could let us use your phone and just wait for the storm to pass maybe. Sorry."

The old man blinked, letting his eyes sweep over the three teenagers. Finally, as if he was appraising them for something, he seemed to approve of what he saw and smiled broadly. "Now don't be silly, come in, come in." He stepped aside to allow them entrance into his home. Puck hesitated for a minute before stepping in. He wasn't surprised when Mike and Sam practically ran in the house after him. After all the best friends that travel together, die together.

The three friends stood huddled closely together in the center of the man's living room area. Their host, such as he was, turned after closing the door. "Well, don't just stand there. Oh, hold on. Let me get you some towels."

The man walked briskly into what they assumed was his bathroom and they heard sounds of fumbling around. The trio exchanged glances. The man returned with three towels. "Here," he said, tossing each of them a towel. It was then that he noticed Mike leaning on Sam's arm. "Where are my manners? You boys have a seat. I'll get you something for that ankle."

"How did…." Mike trailed off, confused, but still hobbled towards the sofa. Sam sat down next to him while Puck went to the armchair next to them.

"I may not look like much but I was a doctor at the General Hospital for twenty five years," the man smiled warmly. "My name is Anthony Johnson, M.D. You can call me Tony."

For some reason, Puck felt like they could trust this man. He honestly couldn't sense any ill intent from the old doctor. Not unlike what he was feeling from his two friends. He knew they were still angry but even they seemed charmed by the elderly man. "I'm Noah. These are my friends, Mike and Sam."

"Well, Noah, Mike and Sam, it's a pleasure to meet you. You boys sit right there and I'll go get some bandages." With that said, Tony bustled into a room at the end of the hall.

"He seems nice," Mike shrugged. "I'm not hearing any banjoes."

"And he hasn't tried mounting us," Sam added, somewhat reluctantly earning two curious looks. "Do your minds permanently live in the gutter?"

Mike held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Mike Chang. Have we met? Of course my mind lives in the gutter! It's about the only way I can effectively communicate with Puck. And it's been that way since we were like ten. I doubt that's ever going to change. We're going to be those pervy old men in the nursing home that none of the other people want near their visiting granddaughters. Better get with program, Sammy, or you're going to be stuck in the mediator role for life."

Sam rolled his eyes, clearly still feeling a bit pissy. "All I was saying was that maybe this idea of Puck's didn't completely suck." They turned to the thus far silent Puck who merely shrugged. "Puck, man, are you alright? I just admitted that you were right."

"I am aware."

"And you have no gloating comment to make about that?" Mike asked, skeptically.

Puck sighed, leaning back in his seat. "No, because you guys were right all along. This was my fault. I got it in my head that we could have this awesome day and I didn't think it through all the way. That's my problem. I never fucking think. Then everything turns to shit." He sighed again. "I just thought it would be nice if we spent some time together."

"Um, we've been together like every day during this bogus excuse for a retreat."

"I meant just us, and well Artie, but clearly that wouldn't have worked. It's just been awhile since it's just us. And soon it's not going to be that way anyway. You guys are all going to New York and I'm staying in Lima."

Sam and Mike exchanged looks. "Puck, you know that it's not certain yet. I mean you were wait-listed. That means that you can still be accepted."

Puck smirked weakly. "That was like four months ago and we still haven't heard anything. I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm not going to New York."

Mike shook his head. "I don't believe it. There is no way the universe is that much of a bitch. There's no way we're not all meant to stay together."

"Well, that's the way it's shaped up, Chang."

"Even if you don't get the acceptance this year, the plan was that you attend State for the year and transfer," Sam reminded him. "It's just a year, if it even comes to that."

"And if does come to that, which I still don't think it will, this isn't over. We don't stop being friends with you just because we're there and you're in Lima," Mike chided. "That is what Skype, cell phones and Facebook was created for."

"Oh yeah, my scholarship got me a free laptop," Sam grinned. "I fully intend to abuse that privilege by bugging your ass at all times of the day and night."

Puck smiled a little more genuinely. "I feel like such a girl."

"Don't worry, we won't tell," Mike assured him. Sam snorted. "Well, I won't tell. Sam's probably going to snitch to his girlfriend the second we're back." Sam's smile grew wider at the thought of his girlfriend. "See this right here is another reason why you need to be in New York with us, Puckerman. I don't think I can take this cavity inducing gushiness."

"Like you can talk," Sam retorted. "You're like practically engaged to Tina. And everything you do is like named. Asian Kiss, much?"

"Yeah, but at least I don't get this stupid lovesick grin stuck on my face when I hear her name," Mike shot back.

"I do not!"

"Santana," Puck said, watching as Sam tried, and failed, to not grin like an idiot. And although he would tease him mercilessly for it, Puck was happy for his two friends. If Mike, Artie and Sam were his best friends then Santana was like his ultimate super best friend forever. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her with someone that would appreciate all the things that made Santana awesome and that was Sam.

"Whatever," Sam mumbled, still trying ineffectively to kill his smile. "The point is that you should have just told us that you were feeling this way. We would have set you straight without the lost in a monsoon thing."

"Hi, I'm Noah Puckerman. Have we met?"

"You're such a tool! Why am I willingly friends with you two idiots again?"

"Me? What the hell did I do?"

Puck laughed and shook his head. They were right. This was definitely not over just because he wasn't going to New York in the fall. He'd get there eventually. And they were going to make that city their bitch. When he was with those two (and Artie) he really did feel like they could do anything. After all thanks to their awesome performance of Puck's original song they finally won Nationals. Well that and thanks to Mr. Schue finally realizing that Finn and Rachel power ballad duets were not going to win them the competition. Puck supposed it had to do with the judges seeing Finn's Finnchel-induced douche bag coming out. It definitely couldn't be because of Rachel herself. Because her voice was amazing. Even when she was singing with her tool of a boyfriend.

"Hey, Puck's got that look on his face," Sam whispered to Mike. "The one he gets when he's thinking about Rachel."

"Oh, Rachel, I love you. I just don't have the balls to tell you," Mike said in a sing song tone. "Here's hoping you grow a damn pair when we get to New York." Puck rolled his eyes but silently agreed. He sat back and felt the tension draining from his shoulders.

It was then that their host rejoined them. Judging from the smile on his face, Puck had no doubt heard the conversation between them. Almost as if he could sense Puck's thoughts, the doctor winked in his direction before setting to work on examining Mike's ankle.

"So the good news is you're not going to die," Tony joked, further relaxing his three guests. "And the better news is it's just a sprain. You'll be right as rain in a few days. Just keep it wrapped and try not to put much pressure on it. Try elevating it tonight and by tomorrow you should be able to walk without too much pain."

"Thanks, Dr. Johnson." The old man cleared his throat pointedly. "Tony, thanks, Tony."

"Not a problem," Tony smiled once again. "I was just about to make some dinner. Would you boys be interested in joining me?"

They exchanged glances. Yes, their host had been nothing but nice to them, but who was to say that wasn't to lull them into a false sense of security? But as his eyes appraised the older man, Puck couldn't see anything that screamed evil. Something was telling him to trust in Tony. He might not think everything through all the time but he learned early in life to trust his instincts. So he did. Puck nodded his head in answer to Tony's question and the man motioned for him to follow him to the kitchen.

"So you boys are pretty close, huh?"

Puck paused while making a sandwich. He was grateful that the older man hadn't decided to make anything more complicated than that for dinner. He was just putting the finishing touches on Mike's sandwich when the question broke the previously companionable silence.

"How'd you guess that?"

"The fact that you've made them both sandwiches without having to think about what they like on it. And the fact that I'm pretty sure one, if not both, of them are listening in to make sure that I'm not trying to kill you in here."

Puck was going to answer but there was a faint chuckle that he knew came from Mike, followed quickly by shuffling feet and muffled cursing from Sam. A smile pulled at his lips. "Yeah, I guess you could say we're pretty close. Mike and I have known each other for like eight years and we've known Sam for almost three now. But it feels like forever with him. We're all in a glee club together and on like every sports team together."

"So you're practically brothers at this point," Tony nodded, smiling. "Friendships like those are precious. You don't ever let them go. That kind of friendship is worth fighting for. Honestly, some say they're worth dying for but really it's special when you find friends worth living for."

"You speaking from experience?"

The man smiled. "Had a friend like that once, Jake Hunter. We grew up together. He became a park ranger while I became a doctor. He was my best friend. But unfortunately, there was a fire and we had to go our separate ways, if you get what I mean."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Tony surprised him by laughing. "I'm not. There's not a thing I regret about that day because I know that we both made the right decision. It was just the hard one. And I know that one day, we'll meet again. What was it your friend said? The universe would never be that much of a bitch. He was my best friend and more like a brother than my own flesh and blood."

Puck nodded. He definitely understood that feeling. He cared about all the gleeks, but Mike, Artie, Rachel, Sam, Santana and Brittany were his family. He'd risk it all for them and he was pretty confident that they felt the same. They pushed him to succeed when he thought he'd fail. When he struggled to get out of bed every day, they were right there with support (and in Santana's case a kick in the ass) to get him up. Mike was right. There was no way the universe could be that much of a bitch. He might not be in New York come the fall but he'd get there eventually. There was no way he was walking away from them now. Puck sent a knowing smile in Tony's direction and helped the man load the tray with sandwiches.

* * *

Puck woke with a start. He blinked against the sunlight that was streaming in through the window and onto his face. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why there was a pair of legs on his lap and a head on his shoulder. He yawned before rubbing a hand over his face. The movement jostled the still sleeping Sam, who lifted his head from its resting place.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Puck murmured, keeping his voice quiet so that he didn't disturb Mike who was still sleeping stretched over both Sam and Puck on the couch. He really didn't remember falling asleep like this but it wasn't the strangest way they'd woken up in the past. At least all their clothes were on and there was no incriminating photographic evidence this time.

"Hey, it stopped raining," Sam whispered, pointing to the window. "Think we should get started soon?"

"Probably, by now even Mr. Schue and Finn must be looking for us." He tapped Mike on the foot, careful to avoid his injured ankle. "Wake up, Ninja Star. It's time to get moving."

"I'm awake," Mike groaned. "Ugh, why is the sun so bright?"

"To better guide idiots that follow Puck's poor sense of direction," Sam replied, earning an elbow in the side. Hey, he was feeling better about this whole best friends going to college thing. Meaning he didn't have to take sass from people with freakishly large lips.

Tony appeared in the doorway of the living room where they had spent the night and smiled. "I thought I heard you boys moving about. How did you sleep?"

"Good," Sam replied for them. "Thank you so much for everything."

Mike swung his legs off of his two friends and moved into a sitting position. "Yeah, thanks. My ankle even feels better."

"Glad I could be of assistance," Tony smiled. "Now I took the liberty of drawing you a map to the main road. From there you should be able to find the ranger station easily." He handed the map to Puck, who just as quickly handed it off to Mike.

"No repeats of yesterday," Puck shrugged, earning three looks of amusement. After Sam and Mike said their goodbyes and made their way outside, Puck found himself lingering behind. "Uh, Tony, thank you. I know we said that already but just thanks."

Tony nodded in acceptance. "No problem, Noah. Just remember what we talked about last night. The universe works in mysterious ways. And true friendships are hard to come by. Especially when you have two or more true friends. Don't think you'll be so easily forgotten. I have a feeling everything will work exactly how you want."

Puck gave the old man a genuine smile. "I hope you're right. And I hope that you and your friend do meet up again."

"We will. Now go, I'm sure the rest of your party is waiting for you."

Puck nodded and left. He promised himself that he was definitely going to find time to come back here and thank Tony again before their week was over. He joined Sam and Mike outside the house.

"Everything ok?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, everything is great," Puck smirked. "I take back everything I've ever said about old people. They're actually pretty awesome."

Both Sam and Mike rolled their eyes before they finally started moving down the path. Twenty minutes into their journey, Puck heard the most amazing beautiful sound he would ever hear. _Sweet Caroline_ was blasting from his jeans pocket.

"Rach?"

"Noah? Where the hell are you? Are you alright? Have you been injured? Are Mike and Sam with you? Are they injured? Are they dead? Did you eat their dead bodies to survive? I told you the human body could go several days without food, even yours. You didn't need to resort to that. But I can help you to dispose of the evidence if you need me. I'm just so glad you're ok. You're ok, aren't you? Where are you?"

Puck blinked at the usual onslaught of Berry. As he was trying to process why she thought he would've already eaten both Mike and Sam when they'd only been missing one night, he heard Sam laughing and looked up to see the blonde pointing at something just ahead of them. There was the ranger's station in the exact place Tony told them it would be. And pacing furiously in front of said ranger's station was one wildly gesturing and highly animated Rachel Barbra Berry.

"Noah? Answer me. Are you ok? Where are you?"

"Look to your left, Rach." Rachel stopped pacing and did as he asked. Her jaw dropped slightly at the sight of the bedraggled teens. He heard her take a shaky breath over the phone. "Rachel, don't cry. We're fine. See? No one got eaten. We're right here." She took another breath. "Ok, listen, sweetheart, I'm going to hang up the phone and I'm going to hug the crap out of you until you realize that I'm fine."

"Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't hang up, ok?"

He chuckled softly. "Ok, babe."

In less than two minutes he had his arms full of Rachel and damned if he didn't feel better already. Sam reached over and took the still connected phone from Puck's loose grip. He hung it up and placed back in Puck's shirt pocket. Sam squeezed Rachel's shoulder lightly before walking inside with Mike where the others were no doubt waiting.

"Don't you ever disappear like that again, Noah!" Rachel warned sternly after pulling away. "You had us worried to death! We've been looking for you for hours. Pretty much all day and all night until Ranger Hunter forced us to stop. Santana's been cursing at him in Spanish pretty much nonstop since then. At least I assume it was curses. I know I recognized the words Lima Heights more than a few times. Apparently bad thing still happen there."

"I'm so sorry," he replied, honestly. "I never meant to worry any of you. I swear I didn't. I just wanted to spend some time with Sam and Mike before they left for school."

Rachel's already bright eyes grew a little brighter before a smile suddenly played across her lips. "You never asked how I knew you were missing."

"I just assumed it was your little bit psychic thing," he said playfully.

"Well of course there was that and your mother called. She said she couldn't reach you but she had some urgent news and she didn't want to leave it as a voicemail." Puck's heart sped up. Rachel slipped her hand in his and squeezed tightly. "Relax, Noah. It's nothing like that. Your mom and Sarah are both fine. It was just that… you got a letter from NYU."

"I did?"

"Yeah," Rachel nodded. She chewed on her lip. "Noah, I'm so sorry. But it looks like you'll need to start packing after all."

"It's ok. I figured …. Wait… what?"

Rachel smiled brightly. "You're in, Noah. You got accepted! They sent a personally addressed letter saying that they're dying to have you. They even offered up a small scholarship according to your mom."

"What the….? They accepted me? But wait, why did they change their minds?"

"It might have had something to do with the video they received of you performing at Nationals last week."

Puck tugged at the hand still attached to his so that they were now closer together. Rachel placed a hand on his chest and looked up at him with wide brown eyes. That smile he not so secretly loved was still playing across her lips and he couldn't help but smile back at her. "Now how exactly did they get a hold of something like that?"

"A little birdie?"

He shook his head. "Why would you go through all that for me?"

"Because I need you in New York, Noah. You, Sam, Mike, Artie, Tina, Britt and Santana have been my family this year. When I said I was leaving everything behind in Lima, I don't mean you guys." She paused. "I don't mean you."

Puck tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Rach."

"You're very welcome, Noah," she smiled up at him again.

He stared at her, touched by the obvious concern over his wellbeing and the lengths she went through to make sure that he was going to New York with her. There was a part of him that was a little confused as to why she didn't go through all that for Finn. She accepted that he was going to stay in Lima and moved on. But for Puck, she was willing to keep pestering the admissions department. For once, he was happy about his tendency to not think things through. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"You're the best, Rachel."

"I know," she flushed happily. She squeezed his hand. "Now are you ready to face the music?"

Puck groaned but allowed her to drag him into the ranger's station. As soon as he was through the door, William Schuester was hugging him. Like full on, arms wrapped tightly around him, with Puck's head tucked under his chin, hugging him. What. The. Hell. "Mr. Schue, seriously?"

"He did it to us too," Sam grumbled.

"Of course, I did," Will said, pulling away with the lecture face clearly on. He kept his hands on Puck's shoulders though he was eyeing the trio evenly. "I was worried about all of you. Which one of you thought it was a good idea to just wander off like that?"

Puck started to open his mouth when Mike cut him off. "It was kind of a mutual decision. We just got caught up in the moment and got lost. You know cell phone reception is crap up here and we couldn't find our way back."

"We didn't mean to get you guys worried," Sam added, sending a covert wink in Puck's direction. "Honestly, we were fine."

"You were stuck outside in a monsoon like weather," Will said, barely keeping a lid on his anger. Puck was slightly touched. He really was worried about them. "How could you possibly be fine?"

"We found a cabin and this doctor guy let us stay the night," Puck spoke up next. "Honestly, Mr. Schue. We were safe and inside the whole time."

Will ran a hand over his face tiredly. "Alright," he sighed. "You guys look like you're ok. Just don't ever do something like that again."

"Promise," they chorused together.

"Wait, what cabin?" Tina asked. "There was no cabin on the trail that you guys marked off on the map. You know the one you left behind." Puck rolled his eyes and elbowed the smirking Sam in the stomach for the second time that day. Hey, he was going to New York now. He really didn't have a reason to take sass from big mouthed losers. Sam laughed.

"Yeah, we almost missed it but then it was like suddenly in front of us," Mike shrugged. "We were totally safe. When we woke up this morning, the rain stopped and we made our way over here."

"You boys are really lucky," a new voice chimed in. The trio turned to see an elderly ranger walking their way. "The path way you marked out was flooded out last night. That's the worst rain we've had in years last night. Your friends had a really good reason to be worried. If you had been out there, you'd probably be dead."

Puck, Sam and Mike exchanged looks. Dead?

"Good thing you found that cabin then," Artie said. "But seriously, there was no cabin. Ranger Hunter took us out this morning and there's nothing on that trail."

"Dude, we'll take you there ourselves," Mike said, exasperated. "Tony drew us a map showing us how to get back."

"Wait, can I see that map?" the man Puck now realized was Ranger Hunter asked. Mike shrugged and handed the map over. The man's eyes glistened as he looked it over. "You said that Tony gave you this?"

"Yeah, he gave it to us this morning. Why?" Sam asked, warily.

"It's his handwriting," the ranger muttered. "I can't believe…." He looked up at the shaken teens and smiled. "Boys, you really are three of the luckiest people I've ever met. You had the privilege of meeting this town's very own urban legend."

"Urban legend?"

"Your friends are right. There is no cabin out there… now. But there was one about ten years ago. Before it burned down. There was a fire in the forest out there. I had to make a decision whether to try and get to the cabin or to a group of camping teenagers not much older than you. I chose the teenagers at the expense of the cabin. I lost a good friend that night."

"Jake," Puck whispered. "Jake Hunter."

"It's actually Jacob but Tony never could grasp the concept of calling people by their actual names," Jake shook his head. "You actually met him. He must've thought you guys were pretty special."

Puck found himself smiling slightly. "He was pretty special too. You should know that he has no regrets about that night. I think that he wouldn't want you to regret it either."

Jake nodded. "I think I know why helped you boys. You're a lot like him. A good man and a great friend."

Puck's smile only grew brighter at the nods of agreement from his actual friends. "Thank you, Mr. Hunter."

Jake shook Puck's hand. "No, kid. Thank you."

Santana held up the hand that was not wrapped tightly around Sam's. "Ok, I am so confused. What exactly happened last night?"

"We got confirmation," Sam replied.

"Confirmation of what?"

"The fact that the universe is in fact not a hateful bitch and we're totally going to own New York!" Mike answered, exchanging sly looks with best friends. Puck couldn't help but agree. Especially when he looked at the girl that was practically glued to his hip.

He didn't know what the future held for certain. But he did know that he had friends worth living for and they were totally going to kick ass in New York. As for him and Rachel, well that was easy. Finn better enjoy the time he had while he could because Puckleberry? They were so endgame. He slung an arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"So who wants to go for a hike?"


End file.
